This conference will cover topics of interest to the field of nutrition and biogerontology. Each symposium will cover research from bench science to human applications and will foster future research in putative nutritional interventions in aging and age-related diseases. The topics to be covered include 1) the relationships among diet, aging and age-related disease, 2) oxidative stress, inflammation and the vulnerable environment in aging, 3) the putative "age-friendly" properties of fruits and vegetables 4) modulating the deleterious effects of aging via foods and drinks containing antioxidants and anti-inflammatories 5) beneficial and harmful fats in the diet; and 6) the role of supplements inpreventing the deleterious effects of aging. This conference should provide information on the roles of oxidative stress (OS) and inflammation in aging, show how vulnerability to these insults may be increased in aging and age related disease, and demonstrate the mechanisms by which the antioxidants, anti-inflammatories and cell signaling modifying agents found in foods and dietary supplements could provide very potent interventions to reduce this vulnerability and thereby forestall or reverse the deleterious effects of aging. In addition to the regular symposium there are three senior level award lectures from distinguished scientist in the field of biogerontology. There will also be prizes awarded to outstanding student and post-doctoral research presentations. Selected abstracts submitted for presentations from postdoctoral fellows and students will be featured as oral presentation at the meeting; giving junior investigators an opportunity to orally present their research. Additionally, this grant will fund 15 minority, disability, student and junior scientist travel awards to facilitate the attendance of these scientists at this meeting. Since it is also important to inform the lay public about the role of nutrition in healthy successful aging a two hour symposium that will be open to the public where lectures will be given concerned with diet and aging by distinguished scientists and authors in these fields is proposed. [unreadable] [unreadable]